Love and a Gym Battle? The Story of Trovita Isle
by DestinyDeoxys
Summary: Ash knows he loves Misty. Misty knows she loves Ash. But when they arrive on Trovita Island, their third stop in the Orange League, what happens when they meet Rudy, the good looking Gym Leader? Expect long wait on updates. Please RR!
1. Prologue: Unspoken Feelings

Hello again, fellow fanfictioneers! It's your old friend, DestinyDeoxys! I am here again just to put up a replacement for my first chapter. But don't worry (you people that have already read the chapter SHOULD NOT BE ALARMED)! I just tweaked some situations there, corrected a few mispelled words here, and the plot stayed the same. Before you start, I have a few things to say; to you who have read the chapter, I have two: 1. I hope you enjoy and like what I changed 2. Please review and tell me what you thought of it. To you who have just checked into this story I also have two: 1. Enjoy! 2. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? ON WITH THE FIC!

Love and a Gym Battle!

The Story of Trovita Isle

Prologue: Unspoken Feelings

The ocean was perfect that day amid the Orange Islands, gentle waves rising and lapping against the water that had spawned them in an eternal rhythm. For Ashton Satoshi Ketchum, however, the beauties of nature seen from the back of his Lapras held little interest to him. Not even the thought of his next Orange League Badge, and the battle he would have to endure to earn it, could tear his eyes away from their target. The raven haired teen was staring goggle-eyed at his best friend, a redheaded girl by the name of Misty Kasumi Waterflower. He was utterly stupefied at how beautiful she looked against the background of the ocean, the wind playing about the flaming, silky hair that stood over her porcelain face. Of course, she took no notice of him, because at the time she was playing with her prized Water Pokémon as they swam beside Ash's Lapras. Ash let out a long sigh of wonder.

_Wow, Misty really is beautiful. She's really good with Pokémon, too. It's too bad she'll never look at me as more than a friend. Did I just have to fall so deeply in love with my **best friend** of all people? As luck would have it, all these things have to happen to me, right? _Thought Ash as he fought to tear his eyes away from Misty's petite figure.

"Well, if I can't get her attention, I might as well let my Pokémon out, too." He said to himself, while unhooking two Pokéballs from his belt. "Come on out, you guys!" he exclaimed as he threw the red-and-white spheres into the air, catching them as their occupants emerged. Bulbasaur, a dinosaur-like Pokémon with a bulb on it's back, and Squirtle, a small, turtle like Pokémon of the Water variety, plopped down on their Trainer's shoulders, joining their friend, Pikachu, the electric mouse Pokémon who was begging his trainer to play along with them. Ash willingly complied and joined in with the antics of his companions. Unbeknownst to him, he was being stared at, too.

Misty locked her eyes on Ash, unaware of the fact that he had been doing the same thing a few seconds ago. She watched the young teenager as he hung onto one of Lapras' spikes with one hand while trying to snatch his cap away from his Pokémon, who were proving to be more than a match for him in a game of "Three-Way Keep-Away". She basked in the aura of serenity that her best friend continuously emitted, and smiled along with Ash and his Pokémon.

The spray kicked up by his Lapras spread water all over them. As Misty watched Ash play with his Pokémon, she couldn't help but notice that the moisture was making his black T-shirt (worn under a blue vest) stick to his body, making his sleek, chiseled muscles even more apparent. She gawked inwardly at how handsome he looked, even in his common display of playfulness.

_God, how far did I have to fall into this crush? _Thought Misty._ I'm surprised he hasn't figured it out from all the times that my feelings have practically gone and slapped him across his cute little face! Huh, I knew Ash was dense, but I never even imagined he could be **that** clueless! Well, it's not like I can get out of this crush. Who said I even want to? We're already best friends, and we travel together, so this situation can only get better, right? _She sighed as she watched him, continuously grabbing toward his three Pokémon, trying to reclaim his treasured Pokémon League cap. After an especially powerful lunge, Ash lost his footing and fell towards the water, unnoticed by Misty, who had turned her eyes back to her Pokémon, or Tracey, who was busy sketching the Pidgey that flew above them. The only thing that stopped him from falling into the water was one of his hands, clinging for dear life to that same spike.

"Guys, I hate to bother you, but COULD YOU GIVE ME A HAND HERE? I'M FALLING OFF OF LAPRAS FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" yelled Ash to his occupied friends.

Misty looked up from her Pokémon, an air of annoyance evident on her face. "I've got this one, Tracey," she said to the young artist sitting near her. "Knock yourself out, Misty," he replied casually.

As Misty kneeled to pull Ash up onto Lapras, she grabbed his hand, which had grown sweaty from exertion. Both teens felt sparks tingling from their hands, down their arms, and all over their bodies. Their eyes swung around from their positions and locked onto each other. They stood there, paralyzed as if emerging from one of Pikachu's Thunderbolt attacks, staring at each other, lost in one-another's eyes.

_Hey, why can't I move!_ Thought Misty. _This is too weird. What's going on? Ash's hands are slipping out of mine, and I'm sitting here like an idiot, glued to the spot! What am I supposed to do now?_

_Why am I not pulling myself up instead of hanging here frozen? _Thought Ash. _Why am I frozen in the first place?_

"Um, Misty?" said Ash, breaking their trance. "Could you please stop staring at me like that and pull me up? I'm still falling off of Lapras if you haven't noticed!"

Misty, still a bit shaken, replied as she pulled him onto his ferrying Pokémon "Uh, sure. Ash, no problem."

After they were both settled down on top of Lapras again, Misty started doing what she did on a regular basis (every five minutes or so to be exact): making fun of Ash's every mistake to make everyone think that she doesn't have a crush on him, or at least that's what she called it.

"You know, Ash, maybe if you weren't so clumsy and childish, this journey of ours would be going on a lot faster than it is right now. But, alas, me and everyone else traveling with you has to get used to a life of getting lost and sleeping in those confounded sleeping bags every night!" said Misty with a devilish grin on her face.

"Hey, maybe if Mrs. Whine-a-lot here could be quiet for five seconds, I could concentrate on the map a lot better and get lost less often!" retorted Ash. The trap had worked. He fell into it hook, line, and stinker!

"Yeah, right! Like I'm ever trusting you with the road map again!" Muttered Misty, folding her arms.

"From my point of view, you never had it in the first place! And if you did have it, we would never find our way around Kanto, or the Orange Islands for that matter!" said Ash, becoming very irritated

"Huh, I'll bet you that I would do a much better job navigating than you if I had the map!" said Misty with a hopeful glance to the blue heavens above their heads

"Aha! So you are admitting that I am in control of the map!" yelled Ash triumphantly, taking a step towards his adversary in the debate.

"No I'm not! Why would I ever even think that you had control over the map?" exclaimed Misty, also taking a step toward Ash on the cramped shell.

"Oh yeah then what did 'If I had the map' sound like to you?" said Ash, taking another step.

"When I said that I didn't mean that you had it, I meant to say that, um… Tracey is in control of the map!" retorted Misty, pointing a finger at the boy seated against Lapras' neck.

Tracey held his hands up defensively, shaking his head "Hey! Don't pull me into this! This is your fight, and you are going to solve it on your own!"

Misty and Ash turned their heads "STAY OUT OF THIS!" they yelled in unison.

"As I was saying, I am still the navigator in this group!" said Ash with a snarl.

"What have we been discussing for the last half hour, Ash? YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THE DIRECTION TAKEN BY THIS GROUP!" Misty snarled back, steam rising from her ears.

"I AM TOO!"

"ARE NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

"ARE NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

"ASH, YOU ARE ASKING FOR A TASTE OF MY MALLET, AND THAT IS NEVER PRETTY!"

Ash, now stepping backwards held up his hands defensively, trying to calm down the rampaging Misty knowing perfectly the extent of her devastating power. "Hey, Misty, you know I was just joking, right? You can be in control of the map, the campgrounds, and anything else you want. Just put down that large Mallet nice and easy… NO! WAIT! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!"

"Wow, and Misty Waterflower has set a new record in the sport of Malletry!" yelled Tracey in an announcer imitation, temporarily looking up from his work.

As Squirtle swam to retrieve its Trainer, who was flying SEVENTY-FIVE feet above their heads after a smack from Misty's formidable Mallet, which was being broken in two by the hands of it's very owner, a certain artist looked on as he finished his newest work of art. Tracey slapped a damp hand to his forehead in mock desperation.

_What the heck am I supposed to do with those two? Will they ever confess their true feelings to each other? Ah, it'll do for a good laugh! _He thought with a shake of his head, perfectly aware of the true feelings locked inside the hearts of his two young friends, almost certain that they would never be set free.

" Hey, Tracey!" hollered Ash, clutching his head as he climbed out of the water, aided by his faithful Squirtle.

"Yeah, Ash" replied Tracey, breaking from his train of thought to look at his friend.

"What's the name of the island we're heading for?" Ash requested of the young artist, avoiding the venomous eyes of Misty as he recalled Bulbasaur and Squirtle. The two Pokémon disappeared into their Pokéballs in a flash of red light.

"Well, let's take a look at the map…" the mention of the word made Ash flinch.

"Hmm… Aha! Here it is!" said Tracey, pointing to a dot on the map. "It's an island by the name of Trovita, and by the looks of it, it seems to be a tropical island."

"Does it really matter what the darn island is called! I don't care if it's Trovita, Pummelo, or Shamouti Island! All that matters is that it has showers and actual beds instead of sleeping bags! Hey, wait a minute! Did you just say that it's a _tropical island_…!" yelled Misty from the edge of Lapras' shell.

"Don't start up on that subject again, Misty Kasumi Waterflower!" yelled Ash, pointing his free hand at her menacingly cutting off her dreams of the island abruptly.

"I start whatever I want, Ashton Satoshi Ketchum!" yelled Misty, turning to face her quarry.

"Will you two ever stop these stupid, pointless arguments!" yelled Tracey over their banter

The two arguing trainers turned their heads simultaneously to face the intruder.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, TRACEY!" They roared in his face once again, almost blowing him off of the shell this time.

Tracey, who had gone back to examining the map, spoke up. "Hey, Ash!'

Ash, who was verbally grappling with Misty at the moment, turned his head toward his friend. "What now, Tracey?"

"Just a small piece of information I found on the map, something you might want to know."

"Yeah?" Ash egged him on as he flinched again at the word.

"It seems that the Gym Leader on this Island, Rudy Genova," continued Tracey, "submits the trainers who challenge him to a challenge of his own. Only by completing this challenge can the trainers compete with Rudy in an actual Pokémon battle."

"Does it say what type of challenge he issues?" said Ash with a hopeful stare towards Tracey.

"Nope." said the artist. "It just says that he makes these challenges on the fly, so you should expect the unexpected."

"Oh, man!" said a dejected Ash "Not only do I have to complete a challenge to face this Gym Leader, it's a challenge that I can't even prepare for!"

"Well, that little detail seemed to knock the wind out of your sails, Mr. Pokémon Master!" said Misty, knocking ash deeper into his misery.

"Are you trying to make me feel better?" asked Ash sarcastically. "Because it didn't work."

"What gave you that crazy idea?" asked Misty.

"I guess you don't pick up on sarcasm very well, either." Said Ash, beginning to giggle. "And you call _me_ dense!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!" asked Misty in suppressed rage, her ears whistling like twin teapots, her face almost matching orange hue of her hair as she reached into her bag of torture instruments.

"Umm, ehehe, should I start running now?" mumbled a terror-stricken Ash.

"Where do you think you can run, Ashy-boy?" said Misty, advancing on the poor boy, raising her mallet once again.

"Oh boy, this does not look good for Ash!" said Tracey, shaking his head gravely.

The next few events happened in slow motion. Misty swung her Mallet down, HARD. Ash rolled out of the way and was stopped by one of Lapras' spikes. The impact of Misty's Mallet on Lapras' back made the Pokémon reel back, catapulting the three unlucky trainers into the water.

"I t-t-told you two m-m-millions of times that your useless f-f-f-f-fighting would only cause t-t-trouble to you and the p-p-p-people around you, n-n-n-namely me!" yelled Tracey as he floundered about in the cold water. "N-n-now that I've p-p-p-proven my point, maybe you t-t-t-two will learn to keep your cool during future arguments!"

"PUT A S-S-SOCK IN IT, T-T-TRACEY!" Ash and Misty yelled furiously from ten yards away also stuttering from the effects of the icy water. Lapras laughed heartily as she swam back to pick up her cargo.

Unnoticed by Ash, Misty, or Tracey, who were drying themselves off on Lapras' back, (mostly by laying in the hot sun on Lapras' hot shell), a small blot appeared on the horizon, steadily growing larger as the three teens and their Pokémon traversed the vast sea connecting the Orange Islands.

"Hey, does it feel like were forgetting something to you guys?" asked Misty, A clueless expression on her face.

"No, but I do kinda feel like I left my legs back there…" said Ash with a careless tone.

"TOOOOOOOOOOOGEEEEEPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

"Oh…my…gosh. TOOOOOGEEEEEEEPIIIIIIIIIII! YEEEEEEEEEEEHOWOWOOOOOOWOUCH!" yelled Misty as she jumped carelessly into the frigid water once again.

"Hey, Tracey, do you think Misty's finally cracked?" asked Ash as he watched his friend swimming to retrieve her baby Pokémon.

"Actually, I think she's been cracked ever since you started this journey, Ash." answered the artist.

_What am I saying? I love that redhead to death! _Thought Ash as he tore at his hair.

"Hey guys! I got Togepi! Now there's just one problem…" yelled Misty from her position.

"Yeah, what's that?" asked Tracey.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET BACK!" bellowed Misty, wobbling unstably in the water, holding Togepi above the waves as it cried.

"That's fairly simple, Misty. You get back here the same way you got out there. YOU SWIM!" yelled Ash smugly from his seat.

Misty glared daggers at Ash. "You know, once I get back, I'll wipe that smile off your face with my Mallet!" she said.

"Oh, Misty, my poor, naïve friend, I would just love to see you try!"

Yep, all in a day's work for your average trio of travelers!

So, What did you think of that, huh? I know the wait on updates has been long, but I haven't had much time to write, so give a dog a bone, here! I'm currently about halfway through the second chapter, and I will probably post it before the end of the month. Oh, and as a heads up, I might be changing my pen name soon. And by the by... COULD YOU ALL PLEASE READ & REVIEW! (Tell your friends too! I'm desperately looking for some publicity!)


	2. Helpful People Also Need To Be Helped

I'm back! Finally you guys get to read the second chapter of my fic! Expect a long wait on updates, as I mentioned in the sum. Well, as I always say, ON WITH THE FIC!

Love and a Gym Battle?

The Story of Trovita Isle

Chapter 1: Helpful People Also Need To Be Helped (Sometimes!)

As three of our favorite trainers crossed the sea amid the Orange Islands on another cloudless day, one hesitant voice arose from Lapras' passengers.

"Hehe, well, it shouldn't be long now…" said Tracey rather shyly.

This statement was the last straw for Misty. Boy, I would hate to be Tracey right now.

"Umm, Tracey… THAT'S ABOUT THE BILLIONTH TIME YOU'VE SAID THAT! HOW FAR IS TROVITA ISLAND ANYWAY? WE'VE BEEN SCAVANGING OVER THE OCEAN BLUE FOR DAYS NOW! WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF FOOD, AND WE HAVEN'T SLEPT A WINK!" yelled Misty to the bewildered artist sitting next to her.

"Well sorry! What was I supposed to tell you? Was I supposed to tell you the truth, which is that I have no idea where we are?" said an exasperated Tracey.

"Well, now that you put it that way," said Misty with a large intake of air.

"HELP! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" screamed Misty while shaking Tracey wildly by the collar.

"Misty, CALM DOWN! Well, she is kind of right. We've been sailing directly south from Shamouti Island for days, and theirs still no sign of Trovita Island!" said Ash to a dazed Tracey.

Tracey sat bolt upright at Ash's words. Misty almost fell off of Lapras when she heard what he said. They turned to face him with horrified looks on their faces. Tracey put the back of his hand to Ash's forehead. After a few seconds he took it off, a look of confusion evident on his face.

"Nope, he doesn't seem to have a fever. His temperature is stable, Misty. But he sure is acting delirious…" said Tracey, acting like a licensed doctor.

"What in the world could be wrong with him?" pondered Misty.

"What is up with you two? Why would I have a fever, and how am I acting delirious! And why in the world is Tracey acting like Drake Romano!" said a very, very confused and frightened Ash (he's always had a terrible fear of needles!).

"Ash! YOU JUST AGREED WITH MISTY! THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU!" yelled Tracey, looking incredulous at Ash's "ignorance".

"What is so weird about it? I can agree with whoever I want, and disagree, for that matter!" said Ash matter-of-factly.

"Okay, WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BEST FRIEND YOU IMPOSTER!" yelled Misty with a voice of concern.

Now it was Tracey and Ash's turn to look scared.

"Misty, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you're concerned about Ash as much as I am!" said Tracey.

"No I'm not! Why would I be concerned about that little twirp!" said Misty, trying desperately to defend her dignity.

"Hey, what did you just call me you nuisa-…" started Ash, but he was stopped cold when he saw what Misty held.

"Hey, Ashy-boy! Are you asking fore another session of Malletry practice? Because if that's the case, I would be more than happy to oblige!" she said as she toyed with her trusty Mallet.

Tracey looked around Lapras' neck to get his thoughts away from the two newly feuding trainers. What he saw made his stomach bounce around in excitement.

"Hey, Ash and Misty, World Champion Debaters! STOP FIGHTING AND LOOK OVER HERE FOR A MINUTE!"

Ash and Misty turned around and yelled once again in unison. "WHAT IS IT NOW TRACEY?"

They were about to go on, but their mouths went desert dry when they saw what Tracey was pointing to as he jumped up and down uncontrollably, almost falling off of their ride.

"IT'S TROVITA ISLAND!" yelled the three dumbstruck (and considerably starved and thinned) trainers.

God, was that island a sight for sore eyes! It was picture perfect; an expansive beach of fine, white sand, which vanished into crystal clear water, surrounded the mainland. The inside edge of the shore, on the other hand, was lost in a lushly green, dense rainforest, cut through by a single dirt path, which led to the city. And what a city it was! Like the center of a cream filled pastry, it was the best part of the island, with its vast area dotted by houses, shops, hotels, a few Pokémon Centers, and many business buildings. The Trovita Island Gym was probably the center of attention in the city, swarmed by two types of people: girls, trying to get a date (or at least a glimpse) off of the famous Gym Leader, Rudy, and trainers, trying to schedule a battle against the same person. To top it all off, a broad river snaked and zigzagged its way all over the Trovita island Rainforest, finally splitting in a beautiful delta that led to the ocean.

The only off-putting feature of the island was an array of tall rock spires, located a short way off the coast, shooting up about fifty feet into the air, ending in ruthlessly sharp points that were keen as a midwinter blizzard. A large whirlpool could be seen be seen writhing and churning in the middle of it all.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHA! MUST GET TO ISLAND! MUST GET TO ISLAND! MUST GE TO ISLAND!" yelled a starry-eyed Misty as she hung perilously over the edge of Lapras' shell, held back only by the four hands of Ash and Tracey (who were having a pretty hard time at that!) while swinging her arms around like twin windmills, trying desperately to "swim" to the island of her salvation.

"Get a hold of yourself Misty! We'll get to the island when we get there!" yelled Ash over Misty's ranting, trying desperately to stop Misty from taking off and avoiding her flailing arms at the same time.

"BUT I WANT TO GET THERE NOW!" complained Misty.

"Misty, there are three very good reasons why you cannot swim to Trovita Island." Said Tracey "One, It's still about five miles away, so you would tire out and sink before you even got halfway there. Two, your clothes would get soaked and weigh you down, so you would tire out even faster. And three, the water out here is freezing cold, so your whole body would be numbed, and you wouldn't even be able to move. Just stay on Lapras and we will reach the island in a few hours." Finished Tracey.

_What the heck is he thinking? _Thought Misty_ I'm not waiting on this shell for another flock of hours! _Misty was suddenly struck by inspiration! _Hmmm, that might work, heeheehee! _She thought to herself, an impish grin growing on her face from ear to ear.

"Well, if you put it that way, Tracey," said Misty as she crawled to the back of the shell.

Oh man, I've really done it now! Thought Tracey. What could Misty be up to? I don't think I should have told her about the time it would take for Lapras to get to the island! Then it hit Tracey like a ton of bricks.

"MISTY WAIT! THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" yelled Tracey, who was frightened out of his wits for Misty as well as for Ash and himself.

"Too late for that, Tracey" said Misty

She lowered herself onto Lapras' tail, braced her back against the Pokémon, held onto the tail and kicked into the water like her life depended on it!

"Well, this isn't exactly what I expected…" said Tracey, but was cut off as he was swept away by the rapidly moving Pokémon.

They were moving so fast that it seemed like the island was moving slowly towards them with no intention of stopping.

"MISTY WAS RIGHT! IF SHE DOESN'T STOP NOW, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" yelled Ash as he hung on to a spike with one hand, and kept his prized Pokémon League hat jammed to his head with the other.

"Pipi, pika pikachu! (Yeah, that crazy tomboy's really done it this time!)" added Pikachu as he laboriously hung onto Ash's shirt as he was swept about.

"HEY ASH COULD YOU REPEAT THAT! I DON'T THINK SHE HEARD YOU! MAYBE THE FACT THAT YOU AGREED WITH HER WILL MAKE HER STOP THIS INSANE JOYRIDE!" hollered Tracey back at him while holding onto his sketchpad with his free hand. _Man, the things a girl can do when something comes between her and an actual bed and a hot shower! _Thought Tracey hurriedly.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" yelled Misty, taken up in the excitement of the moment, her legs working like twin trip-hammers at the thought of resting in an actual bed that night.

After a few minutes of this, Ash felt some weird sensation in his stomach.

"Hey, Tracey, I'm not feeling so good…" said Ash rather quietly, as he turned his hat backwards to prevent it flying off, and put his hand over his mouth, his face turning a sickening green.

"Pikapi…(Yeah, me too…)" said Pikachu, mimicking Ash's gesture, his face transitioning to a light shade of green.

"Likewise, Ash. Me too." Said Tracey, a light emerald hue creeping onto his features.

"Guys, is this great or what?" yelled Misty, apparently undeterred by the speed at which they were traveling, her ponytail swinging wildly in all directions in the wind. "This way, we'll get to Trovita Island much faster, and I can sleep in a decent bed tonight, and tomorrow night, and the night after that, and the night after-" Misty turned around, noticing that her companions made no comments, and saw what state they were in.

"Hello, are you guys even listening to me? What are you, seasick or something? Well, get over it! But don't worry, we should reach the island in about ten minutes, but it might take longer, because my legs are getting mighty tired, so we'll have to slow down a bit."

The boys (and one Pokémon) were greatly cheered up at the thought of slowing down, but felt sick again and leaned over the side of their "ferry" and hurled at the thought of staying on board for another ten minutes.

Suddenly, for some unknown reason, Misty drove her feet into the water, hard, and Lapras came to a bucking halt, causing her passengers to fly off with a great splash into the water.

Ash popped his head out of the water, retrieving his hat in the process.

"What was that for Misty? Are you trying to make us even more sick, or better yet drown us?" asked Ash as he emerged from the water, his sopping wet hat sitting lopsided on his head.

Misty turned to them. "I thought I just heard a voice yelling for help!"

Instantly, the two boys in the water went into HERO MODE.

"WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY?" they babbled incessantly, with no concern as to their freezing bodies.

"Well, looks like I won't be getting any help from those two!" she said as she scanned the waters for the source of the voice. As she looked towards Trovita Island, she finally found it.

There, in the middle of the maelstrom, was something that definitely should not have been there. A small girl and her Seel were being thrown around violently by the waves of the whirlpool, spinning perilously close to the rock spires surrounding it.

_I've got to do something, and fast! _thought Misty as she looked towards the girl and the stretch of water separating them.

_Well, as they always say, here goes nothing! _She sighed as she closed her eyes, raised her arms, and dived head-first into the cold water, already feeling the strong pull of the immense whirlpool before her.

As Tracey came out of his babbling state, he looked at Lapras' shell and saw that Misty had disappeared.

"Hey, Ash!" he called to his friend as he came out of HERO MODE.

"Yeah Tracey?"

"Where's Misty? She's not on Lapras' back, so where could she be?"

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was Misty telling us that she heard someone calling for…" he trailed off, knowing of Misty's caring (but frugally hidden) nature and her reaction to the word "help".

"MISTY! GET BACK HERE!" the two boys yelled as they mounted Lapras. Ash instantly spotted a flash of red hair about two-hundred meters from their current position. He instantly entered HERO MODE #2.

"Lapras, full speed ahead!" he yelled as Lapras swam with all her might trying to catch up to the red dot in her vision.

_We're coming, Misty. You'll be fine. _thought Ash as his trusted Pokémon sped toward his source of distress.

Speaking of which, let's get back to that redheaded bundle of trouble!

That water was colder than the poles! Misty could barely feel her body, but she gallantly struggled onward, her soaked limbs aching with every stroke. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe, let alone move, but she would risk it. All for a girl she didn't even know.

She looked up to see the natural stone formations that marked her destination looming up out of the turbid waters that surrounded the whirlpool.

"Just…a…bit…more…! I'm…almost…there!" she whispered, the speech only causing a singing pain in her chest, or at least she thought it was her chest…

As Misty struggled through the strong currents, a young man of about fifteen years watched from a stone outcropping through a pair of jet-black binoculars. As he raised his onyx eyes to the sky, he thanked the heavens above.

"I think I'm in love!" he exclaimed as he turned his eyes to the red spot in the water nearing the whirlpool and his sister.

Misty was at the end of her strength, using every last store of energy to get to the girl. As she saw her near, she let her head slip under the water.

In that second, Ash, from his perch on the ferry, saw the small red dot in the water disappear into the blue. In is panic, he took the only logical course of action that had formed in his head. The poor, poor imbecile!

"Tracey, I'm going in." he said as he squatted down on the edge of the shell, preparing himself to enter the frigid waters and to rescue his only reason for living.

"Ash, did the cold temperature of that water go to your head?" he said incredulously.

"I don't know, maybe it did." Ash replied as Tracey face-faulted.

"You haven't had nearly as much swim training as Misty, and it's a miracle she's already a miracle she's survived this long! If you go in there, you probably won't come out with much life left in you." Tracey said solemnly.

"I know that Tracey! Do you think I would be stupid enough to overlook that?"

"Actually, Ash, as amazing as it may sound to you, that is exactly what I think." He said as he watched Ash face-fault.

"Well any-who," he said as he regained his composure, "that's beside the point. The point is that I can't leave Misty out there alone. Over the years, she's grown on me in a way that I never thought possible. In the beginning, I thought of her as a pest who didn't know when to let go of her grudges. Actually, know that I think of it, that part of her still lives. But the point is, I can't live without her. If she were to disappear, I think my entire world would fall out from under me. The point is, I l-" Ash was cut off as he sweat-dropped at the sight of Tracey crying his eyes out.

"That was so beautiful! But I think you need to work on your ending. It was kind of blunt." he said.

Ash was about to slap him silly, until he realized something.

"OH MY GOD! I'M SUCH A POOR, POOR IDIOT!" (See! What'd I tell ya?)

"Wow Ash did you figure that out yourself?" Tracey said as Ash face-faulted once again.

"I've been sitting here relating my life's story to you, while Misty's been trapped in that whirlpool! I have to go in! Now!"

Tracey, seeing his friend's distress at the thought of losing the one thing that was most important, decided that this was the time to cut the jokes.

"Alright, but first we have to take some safety measures." He said as he went into his bag and pulled out a surprisingly long coil of rope, and a Pokéball.

"Marill! Go!" he yelled as he tossed the red-and-yellow sphere releasing a round, rabbit-like water Pokémon.

"I think you should use your Squirtle too, just to be safe." Said Tracey, indicating Ash's Pokébelt.

"Good idea." Replied Ash as he unhooked the respective Pokéball from his belt.

"Squirtle, come on out!" he said as he too hurled his Pokéball into the air. His faithful Squirtle, former member of of the Squirtle-Squad emerged once again.

"Here, Ash." Said Tracey, giving Ash one end of the rope. "Tie this around your waist and tug on it a few times when you've got a hold of Misty so I can pull you out."

"Thanks for the help Tracey." Ash said as he neared the edge of the shell, closely followed by Marill and Squirtle.

"Anytime, Ash. Anytime." He replied as the two Pokémon took hold of Ash.

As Ash lowered himself down into the water, he remembered something that was conveniently sitting on top of his head.

"Pikachu!" he said as he lowered the mouse from its perch. "I'm sorry, and i know how much you want to help out, but you can't come with me. As much as I appreciate you're concern, I couldn't risk losing you too." he stated to his friend.

"Pika! Pika pika chu!" (C'mon! I really want to help!) said Pikachu, not wanting to leave his master's side. But as soon as he saw Ash's stern and also pleading gaze, he surrendered. "Pichu. Pikachu." (Alright. I'll stay here.) he said.

"Thank's a ton, buddy!" said Ash, giving Pikachu one, last, heartfelt hug.

Before Ash could even touch the water this time, Pikachu decided to get one last dig in before he left.

"Pi pikachu, chu!" (Go get 'em, tiger!) the rodent said as his master face-faulted.

"Pikachu, you know I don't like her that way!" Ash said, but received two bewildered glances from the artist and Pikachu.

"Pi pichu, pika? Pika pi pichu pika, pi pika pichu!" (What do you think I am, deaf? I heard what you said to Tracey, and I know how you were going to end it!) Pikachu stated to his master incredulously.

After looking at Pikachu and recieving a nod from Tracey, Ash uttered a sigh and spoke to his friend. "Alright, Pikachu. But heed my warning; utter any of what you just heard to Misty or any other soul, and I will deprive you ofyou're beloved ketchup for the nexttwo weeks!"

"Pika, pikachupi?" (C'mon, you can't be that serious, can you?) said Pikachu burushing off Ash's words.

"On the contrary. When were dealing with Misty, I can be quite serious!" Ash replied. Pikachu's jaw dropped and he remained quiet.

"And that goes for you too, Tracey!" Ash said, turning on his friend.

"What are you going to do? I don't care about ketchup nearlyas much as Pikachu!"

"Pi pi pikaCHUPI!" (You dare defy the awesome power of KETCHUP!) asked Pikachu incredulously.

"I certainly do." stated Tracey simply.

Pikachu just stared at him blankly and muttered under his breath, "Pika pi pi pikachu pikaCHUPI?" (How can humans brush off something as important as KETCHUP?)

"Well Tracey, I think its time that I introduce Mr. Sketchpad to Mrs. Campfire, don't you?" said Ash slyly as he observed the look of shock on Tracey's face.

"No, you wouldn't!" pleaded Tracey.

"Pi ka pi ka pi ka!" (Ha ha ha ha ha ha!) Pikachu laughed uproariously.

Tracey rounded on him. "You dare defy the awesome power of the SKETCHPAD!" he asked the mouse.

"Pi pikachu!" (Of course I do!) he stated.

Tracey spoke under his breath, "How can anyone brush off something as important as the SKETCHPAD?"

As Ash looked at his two feuding friends, he was amazed at how they could all keep such calm heads when they were in the middle of a crisis that threatened the life of one of their friends. But then he realized that as long as they had each other, they would always come out on top and safe from harm.

"Well I hate to break this up, but I've got to go save a certain damsel in distress!" he told his friends.

Again, as he told Squirtle and Marill to lower him into the water, Ash remembered something else that rested smugly on his head.

"Squirtle, Marill, wait up a minute." he said as he swiped his treasured Pokemon League cap off his head and knelt down beside Pikachu, laying it on top of his head and making it sway lopsidedly over one of his eyes.

"Pikachu, I'm entrusting you with something that is really important to me. Even if i don't come back, I want you to guard this cap with all you've got, you hear me?" he said as a tear found its way down his features.

Pikachu came to the rescue once again as he caught the falling tear, being careful to keep the cap from falling off of his head. What he did next astounded Ash. He flashed his trademark victory sign and stated confidently, "Pi pika, pikacu!" (You can count on me, Ash!)

Ash returned the gesture warmly.

"Thanks bud, you're the best!"

Next he turned to Tracey.

"Look after Pikachu for me, will you?" he stated in a whisper, knowing how Pikachu's pride could get the best of him sometimes.

"Sure Ash. Anything." he replied.

He once again turned to Squirtle and Marill and exclaimed confidently, "Alright you two! Let's go show that whirlpool what were made of!"

"Squirt, Squirtle!" (Yeah! You said it Ash!)

"Marill!" (What he said!)

The raven-haired boy gave his friends one, last fleeting glance before they dived into the dark, swirling abyss that was the ocean, Misty's captor, hoping against hope that he would get to her in time.

As Tracey and Pikachu watched the faint blue smudge traveling towards the whirlpool, Tracey turned to Pikachu.

"So you really know how Ash feels about Misty?"

"Pi. Pika pika chu chu pika." (Yeah. but I know that's not know that's not what he's going to save.) said Pikachu.

"Oh yeah, than what is he going after?" Tracey asked, suddenly interested in the mouse's words.

"Pika pikachu pi pika CHUPI pi pika pichu pik pika cha pikachu pika pikachupi." (He's going after the spare bottle of KETCHUP that Misty left in her bag that she forgot to leave here.) he replied as Tracey facefaulted with earth-shattering force against Lapras's shell, causing her to buck and sending the two flying over her head.

"PIKACHUUUUUUUU!" yelled Tracey as he spat water.

"Pi pika! Pika pika pikacu!" (What! I'm just telling it how it is!)

YAAAAAAAAAWN! It's getting pretty late! I should be getting to bed, so please Read and Review for me guys! I need some support here!


End file.
